


Lilith Meets Thor

by Saugustine



Series: Loki's Point of View [1]
Category: Loki (Marvel) - Fandom
Genre: Backstory, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Female Loki (Marvel), Loki and Thor - Freeform, Loki has a heart, Pre-Thor (2011)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 07:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16908411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saugustine/pseuds/Saugustine
Summary: Backstory fluff from Loki's point of view.  Will eventually lead into the first Thor movie.





	1. Lilith Goes to School (Ageist Her Father's Wishes)

**Author's Note:**

> (Author Note: First attempt at fan fiction. I am usually more of a visual arts person than literary art, but I hope you like it anyway! The rating of M is just for safety sake because my imagination has a tendency to take dark turns periodically, but if that happens it will probably just be violence that gets me into the M rating. *The events of this chapter take place well before the first Thor movie.)

Today was Lilith’s first day at Asgard Academy. She fidgeted nervously as she waited outside the classroom for the teacher to call her in to introduce her.

  
What if they could see right through her?

  
Suddenly the door swung open and the teacher Sir Kvan ushered her to the front of the room. As class stood to salute their teacher Lilith’s eyes scanned the room. Her eyes fell to the boy sitting in the back row rolling his bright blue eyes in disrespect. Lilith could never mistake this fair haired boy for anyone other than Thor, god of thunder.

  
When the introductions were complete she was directed to sit at the back of the class right next to Thor just as she had hoped. But as she sat down and concentrated on Sir Kvan’s spiel about the Bifrost she completely ignored him. He barely noticed the world around him. He continually talked to the other students around him knowing full well that Kvan would never dare give him more than a verbal reprimand.

At first he only made a few rhetorical comments in her general direction, but he quickly took notice when she pointedly did not react to his antics. He soon began to talk at her with increasing frequency throughout the class until he became a senseless buzzing in her ear.

  
“Thor. Thor! I asked you a question,” Kvan barked, disapprovingly, as Thor’s eye finally found the front of the classroom. “What is the main purpose of the Bifrost?” Kvan repeated.

  
Thor hastily stood to address the question, but cames up short. He stared at Kvan blankly for a few uncomfortable moments before Kvan responded.

  
“Well if you cannot concentrate on the lesson you can at least keep you tong still so it does not distract everyone around you as well.” Then the teacher’s hawk like glare turned on her, “Lilith, since you seem to have become so well acquainted with his highness in such a short amount of time maybe you can tell me the answer for him?”

  
Lilith sat straighter in her chair lifting her chin in an affronted expression. How dare he lump her in with Thor’s gaggle of ner-do-wells! She was going to have to teach him a lesson. Slowly she stood to address the class, flipping her long tresses behind her shoulder hotly, and boldly met Sir Kvan’s gaze.

  
“The answer is rather simple,” she began. “The Bifrost, which is guarded by Heimdall, is the link between the Nine Realms of the Norse Cosmos. This allows us to keep tabs on the realms that we are charged to protect.”

  
“Correct.” Kvan begrudgingly, muttered. “You may be seated.”

  
Thor, temporarily chastened, remained silent for what little remained of the class period.

 

* * *

 

Several weeks pass in the same manner with Thor getting increasingly persistent. Until, finally on her walk home from school Thor hastened up beside her. He walks next to her in silence for a few paces before suddenly rounding on her and stopping to block her path.

  
“Why do you detest me?” he exclaimed.

  
Lilith rocked back on her heels as her eyes widen in shock. “Why would I detest you?” she asks, perplexed. Maybe she had pushed him too far.

  
“Then why do you never speak to me then?” he demanded.

  
Placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to look him straight in his blue eyes she said, “Well it certainly got your attention, didn’t it.” When he continued to stare at her blankly she continued, “At first I just wanted to catch your eye, but you got so frustrated. How could I resist teasing you further?”

  
He continued to stared at her stunned. So she quickly stepped around him and continued to walk. A few paces later he was beside her again.

  
“Why would you do such a thing? Do you know who I am?”

  
“That ... is exactly why I did it.” Lilith paused as she thought for a moment then continued. “You looked so bored when I came in. I thought you might enjoy a little something to shake you up. You know, ease your burden,” she said sarcastically.

  
“Well if you really want to ease my burdens you could go out with me and my friends tonight. I promise that it will be an adventure,”

  
“And why would I want to go on an adventure with your merry band of degenerates?”

  
“Because you cannot resist to vex me?”

  
“That _is_ true... I will consider it,” she said.

  
And with a quick chivalrous bow he departed, tossing a quick “Meet us at sunset by training grounds!” over his shoulder as he went.

 

* * *

 

That night as she scaled the locked gates to the training grounds she pondered all the different reasons why this was a bad idea. All of the possible disasters seemed to stem from the fact that Thor was making the plans. Thor the boy whose ego had never been checked and whose belief in his own prowess had never wavered. She quickly came to the conclusion that anything Thor would consider an adventure was something that could never be anything but a catastrophe.

  
Quietly Lilith slunk through the shadows and slowly peered around the armory. There she saw Thor standing surrounded by his usual flock of glory driven idiots: Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun. Lilith paused as their voices drifted toward her. Maybe she should determine how stupid they were going to be before she decided to sign on or distract them from something too dangerous, possibly with something shiny. She stepped back cloaking herself in shadows as she waited to listen in.

  
“What is taking this girl so long? We need to get in and out before we are spotted,” complained Sif.

  
“Yeah. The guard exchange does not take long and I want to make sure I find the best weapons in the armory to ‘barrow,’” complained Hogun.

  
“Let's wait a little longer. I am sure she will come,” Thor says.

  
“Ha! What is this all about?” Fandral says with a smirk. “If it had been me that had been late you would have run off and left me!”

  
“Let’s just go already. My bloods pumpin’ just thinkin’ about that nest of devils awaitin’ us!” argues Volstagg.

 

Thor turns to face the hulking boy. “The wyvern will keep for five more minutes, besides it will take us most the night to climb the cliffs to get to them anyway.”

  
Lilith gasped. These imbeciles had found a nest of wyvern! She definitely needed to distract them. Oh, but what she could make with those luminescent scales and poisonous fangs. Maybe she could wedel out the location before she distracted them and go alone. With her stealth skills she could sneak into the nest and gather the ingredients without notice.

  
Lilith startled as Volstagg roared, “I aint’ waitin’ any longer!” and began to march purposefully towards the armory. Out of time she stepped out of the shadows to block his path.

  
“So I here you found a nest of wyvern?”

 

* * *

 

Things were not going to plan. She hated when things didn’t follow the plan. Nothing she said or did distracted them and on top of everything else they were refusing to tell her where they were going. So she couldn’t even lead them astray by using magic to create a willow-the-wisp to lead them back to Asgard and go on alone. That was her last safeguard and now she was plastered to the side of a cliff doing far too much physical activity in the hopes of someday reaching the wyvern nest. Why in the world were the wyvern nesting so high up the cliff anyway? Shouldn’t they want to nest closer to the tree line where their food source of berries and roots were?

  
As she pulled herself up over the edge she vowed to plan more carefully in the future. Brushing off her blue tunic and straightening her belt of vials and daggers she stood to face her inevitable doom. As the merry band of degenerates marched into the cave Thor fell back to walk beside her.

  
“How are you doing? You look a little winded.”

  
“Oh, shut it. We can’t all be big hulking brutes. There would be no one left to record the tragedies of idiotic heroes who charge to their deaths in search of glory,” she griped.

  
Suddenly Thor began to laugh. “Ha, ha, ah. You sound so gloomy! I bet you would like my brother. He is a pessimistic, know it all too, and he is not afraid to vex me either.”

  
“You have a brother? Why is he not gallivanting through the hills like a crazy person too? Insanity seems like it would be a hereditary trait”, Lilith sniffed.

  
“He is just a different sort of crazy. But even if he could come with us I doubt that he would want to.”

  
“Why couldn’t he come?”

  
“He is banned from leaving his room for three seasons,” Thor said as he glanced away.

  
“That’s almost a full year! What could he have done to warrant such a harsh punishment?”

  
“I am not certain, but he does have a tendency to get into trouble.”

  
“You don’t know what he did? Why can’t you just ask him?”

  
“No visitors aloud.”

As they turned the corner into a narrow cavern they were forced to drop the conversation in order to squeeze through the shallow gaps in the sharp rocks. As Lilith scraped her leg against a particularly sharp rock she wondered what on earth had possessed Volstagg to go through here in the first place. He was easily twice her size and if she was getting scraped up he must be getting far worse. All of her pondering ceased when she exited the crevice and saw where it led.

 


	2. Volstagg is Dumb as a Cavern of Rocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author Note: Sorry if you like Volstagg. *The events of this chapter take place well before the first Thor movie.)

As Lilith clambered out of the narrow passage, she turned to gape at the sight before her. She stood at the bottom of a huge cavern that opened up to the sky above them, depicting a scene the belonged back in the astronomy tower. The walls and floor of the cavern were curved and furrowed, as if the cavern had been dug into the earth by a gigantic beast. As Thor’s company started forward their footsteps echoed on the hard surface. Littering the ground around them were rounded stones wider than she was tall. As she edged closer to one of the stones she noticed that the surface had flecks that glittered as if it they were made of gold.

  
Slowly they crept towards the center of the cavern as the followed Volstagg to where the nest of wyvern awaited. As they neared the nest the furrows in the ground steadily deepened until they became the walls of a maize. After a few wrong turns and dead ends, courtesy of Volstagg’s faulty memory, finally arriving at the entrance to the wyvern’s nest. The small, jagged opening revealed a bowl like room with an open view of the sky. At the center were four scaly beasts curled in a heap, asleep like a brood of puppies.

  
As the group stalked forward to move in to strike, Lilith hung back to observe. Something did not feel right. It wasn’t that their enemies were sleeping peacefully. Oh no, she could quite easily take advantage of any weakness she could strike at. It was that they were sleeping at night. Wyvern were supposed to be nocturnal creatures.

  
Suddenly Volstagg surged forward with a warriors battle cry, making all their sneaking a wasted effort. The others only hesitated for a moment before joining in with their own shouts, charging into the fray. Four sets of reptilian eyes turned toward the Asgardians. The beast closest to the front rose on hind legs and unfurled wings far too large for its body and sent forth a gust so strong it sent them all sliding back several paces, and causing Fandral sprawling on his backside.

  
They surged forward again with Thor in the lead. Thor struck at the first monster hitting it on its wing to disarm its wind attack. Lilith edged in closer to assist Thor in his battle. The wyvern wiped its head towards her snapping its jaws a mere inch from her face, but Thor leapt at the Wyvern’s thick neck and clung like a burr as it lifted him in the air, whipping its head back and forth. She rushed forward to attack the sensitive membranes of the wyvern’s wings, but in the back of her mind she wondered about the contradictions.

  
From what she had read wyvern were supposed to be graceful two legged and two winged creatures, not these gawky, unsteady beasts. Their main weapons were supposed to be their thin, dexterous tails that could be used to pull fruit from thorns or used as whips to defend themselves, and their long poisonous fangs. Two fangs, not thirty needle sharp incisors. Distractedly, she ducked the wyvern’s thick trunk like tail as it attempted to sweep her aside. She dove, with her dagger, to sever the tendon behind its right front claw. Yes front claw, because the wyvern had four, not two, massive talons that were far too large for its body. Just like its wings.

  
With a mighty roar Thor, still clinging to the monster’s neck, unbalanced the creature sending it crashing to the ground. Lilith quickly dodged to the side to avoid being crushed by the wyvern’s great weight and took the opportunity to assess the battle ground. Fandral and Hogun were working as a team on the wyvern closes to them, while Volstagg and Sif seemed to be holding their own against each of the other beasts. Although, Volstagg seemed to be a little worse for wear, probably do to his rash attacks that were getting less and less cautious.

  
She returned her gaze to her own battle where Thor had now decided to actually use the weapon he had plundered from the armory. The battle axe he wielded was far superior to anything the others had managed to abscond with. But as she stepped in to assist, the beast let forth an ear splitting scratch that sent her tumbling back into one of the round rocks. She hit hard knocking the air out of her lungs, and to add to her confusion the rock gave way beneath her back. Dazed she shook her head and looked at her surroundings. What she had at first taken for a rock was actually an eggshell! It was cracked and open at the bottom to the hard earth, but that was not the most extraordinary thing about this “rock”. The inside was lined in pure gold that reflected her likeness back at her in varying shades of amber.

  
She froze in utter horror, thinking back on all the things these wyvern should be, but were not. The tails that were too thick and clumsy. The mouths filled with teeth meant for ripping and tearing, instead of striking to inflict poison on their enemies. The nest perched high on a cliff and open to the sky, instead of close to vegetation and protected. Finally, the wings and claws that were disproportionately large for their bodies. When combined with the gold laced eggshell they could be only one thing, and it ravaged whole continents to pillage and devour tons of gold in order to fertilize its eggs.

  
Dragons. Dragon hatchlings to be specific, and what were dragons most known for? Oh, yes. Guarding their golden eggs to the death and smiting anyone dumb enough to come close with fearsome fire breath. Speaking of dumb people, how was she going to get Thor and company out of here? As far as she knew Thor had never retreated from a fight in his life, which was going to be very short unless she thought of something fast.

  
As she returned her attention to the battle between the mighty god of thunder and the dragon hatchling, a battle which Thor was decidedly losing. She could just see the faint glow beginning in the hatchlings nostrils. Using every ounce of speed in her body she rushed forward and tackled Thor to the ground just as a raging torrent of flames shot above their heads. Thor, not willing to give up his game, rose to his feet and struck with his axe, severing the hatchling’s toe. It let out another almighty screech, which was quickly echoed by the other three hatchlings. The cacophony was enough to drive all of the Asgardians to their knees.

  
The silence that followed was almost as defining as their cries until the silence was broken by a roar so deep and powerful the earth shook below them. Lilith’s thoughts swirled, desperately as she searched for an idea. Finally, as her eyes fell on Thor, her plan began to form. It wasn’t a brilliant plan, but it was a plan nonetheless.

  
Using her magic she masked her voice to imitate Thor’s and bellowed, “Retreat!”

  
Thor’s companions, still stunned by the roar, reacted reflexively to “Thor’s” command and began heading for the crack in the nest wall. Thor stared in confusion as his friends ran past him, but he turned to follow. He walked a few paces before he hesitated and turned back to look at the hatchlings. Lilith, rolling her eyes in frustration, ran over and shoved him towards the exit, just as a huge shadow blotted out the stars from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author Note: Always be yourself… unless you can be a dragon. Then always be a dragon!  
> P.S. Sorry for cliffhanger.)


	3. Loki Saves Thor’s Butt Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author Note: Sorry to say, I’m rooting for the dragon in this chapter. ;) *The events of this chapter take place well before the first Thor movie.)

Lilith glanced up in panic as she heard the scraping of talons on stone, but continued to push Thor with all her might towards the exit.  As usual, Thor was being uncooperative about said escape plan and was trying to get a better look at their fast approaching doom. Lilith was quite a bit smaller than him and once he got his first glimpse of the dragon she was unable to move him a hair farther.  

The dragon’s long golden snout slowly dipped over the edge of the cavern’s wall.  Its thin coal black, forked tongue flicking in and out as it scented their intrusion and its hatchlings blood.  Thor raised his axe in preparation to fight. Fierce green eyes turned on them in outrage and nostrils glowed with the promise of fire.  The ring of spines around its head were puffed out in anger to form something akin to a lion’s mane. The distinct lack of horns atop its head proved her to be the hatchlings’ mother.  Wasn’t that just great! In Lilith’s experience, mothers were much more likely to care about their offspring than fathers. 

As if to punctuate her thoughts the dragon arched her swan like neck high above them and released a high pitched, ear piercing roar that knocked Lilith flat on her back.  For several terrifying moments she was unable to move a single muscle as she watched in horror as the beasts huge front talons scraped across stone in the dragon's descent from the cavern wall.  Each claw easily as long as one of the hatchlings were tall, they trailed gashes in the stone as the dragon slid down. She gasped, trying to refill her lungs with air. Turning her head she could see that Thor’s companions had escaped, but Thor had not been so lucky.  Like her, Thor had been thrown back by the dragon’s cry and from what she could tell his head had had an unfortunate collision with the wall on the way down. Blood trickled down from hair and pooled beside his ear. 

Finally her fight or flight instincts kicked in with a resounding  _ RUN. _ She leapt to her feet and ran toward Thor, who was still lying prone on the cavern floor, unconscious.  Using her magic to shift and straighten her arms, she half dragged, half carried Thor to the narrow gap in the nest wall.  Glancing back Lilith could see that the dragon was crouched above the nest with her snout bowed toward her hatchlings, her quick tongue cleaning the blood from their wounded hides.  For a moment Lilith stared in amazement. It was astounding how such a large beast could be so gentle in caring for something so much smaller than itself. 

Thankful the dragon cared more for its children than it did about the intruders, Lilith managed to drag Thor through the opening and into the labyrinth beyond.  She turned, ready to order one of the Neanderthals to carry Thor to safety, but was startled to see no one was there. Those idiots! The spineless brutes had panicked and left them to die.  

Turning back to Thor she could feel the driving need to run too, but she would never leave him.  Realizing that she would never be able to drag him out of here by herself, she used her magic to levitate him.  Something she had only recently learned to do and only with small objects. Concentrating with all her might, he slowly began to rise off the ground.  Straining with the effort she grabbed ahold of his collar and began to pull him down the path. After a few steps his legs began to sag, then his right arm, then his whole right side, until finally she could hold out no longer.  

Her power snapped back to her with the sting of a rubber band slapping back to a wrist.  She winced in pain as her magic gave out and again when Thor fell face first into the dirt, his head bouncing with the impact.  She slumped against a wall exhausted. She had hardly managed to move him down three earthen passages. From what she remembered of their journey here there were 22 different turns they still needed to make before they could exit the labyrinth and that was not counting all the dead ends they ran into on the way here.  

As she slid down the wall in defeat her hands brushed something sharp, cutting one of her fingers.  She looked down to see a large, curved sheet of gold beside her. It was a piece of eggshell longer than she was tall.  Looking down into her golden reflection she had a wonderful idea. She jumped to her feet to drag the shell to lay next to Thor.  Carefully she rolled him onto the eggshell trying to keep the edge from cutting him, with only minimal success. Once he was laid flat on his back in the middle of the shell she checked him over for damage.  Most of the cuts were minor, but one particularly sharp point had caught him on his shin and was bleeding badly. Ripping the hem of her tunic she bandaged his leg as best as she could, but her magic did not include healing.  

As she tied the last knot in the fabric around his calf Thor stirred and began to groan.  She dashed to his head, clasping her hands over his mouth to stifle the noise but it was too late.  The dragon’s head snapped up, its black tongue flashing in and out trying to pinpoint their location.  Quickly she used the levitation charm again, this time focusing on the eggshell which proved to be easier to float, because it was not flexible and thus could not flop about.  Quietly she grabbed the edge and began to push it down the path rolling her feet from heel to toe to avoid making any noise. 

It didn't matter though, because the dragon could scent the blood in the air. Both from Thor’s leg and from the eggshell biting into her hands.  The dragons piercing green eyes narrowed in our direction as it found the source of the scent. Its massive wings rose, each wing tip touching the  opposite sides of the cavern before plunging down in a torrent of wind to lift the dragon’s full weight into the air. The sight of the dragon sailing towards them was finally enough to break her control.  She took off running down hall after hall of the maze in a frenzy looking for any way out, the eggshell cutting deeper into her hands with each step. 

She was so focused on running that she didn’t look to see where the dragon landed, but she definitely felt the impact.  The ground shook and the walls on either side of her began to crumble, pouring piles of dirt atop her head and blinding her eyes.  She swiped at her eyes and continued to run until she ran headlong into a collapsed section of path causing the shell to shatter and Thor to tumble unceremoniously to the ground.  She collapsed beside him clutching at her abdomen, where a shard had lodged itself between her ribs. 

 

***

 

She didn’t know how long she had blacked out, but the blood stain around her hand had spread too much for it to have been the eye blink she had first thought.  Thor knelt beside her, the concern wrinkling his brow making him look like a fearful child. He had removed the shrapnel from her side and his hands flickered with a dim light as he touched her.  She flinched and the unpleasant scent of burning flesh wafted past her nose. She groaned and tried to squirm away, but a sudden jolt shot through her system.

Thor winced and said, “Sorry. I’m not very good at this.”  

Lilith shook as she strained to sit up.  “What are you trying to do anyway?” she asked.  

“Stop the bleeding?”

“You’re not sure?” Lilith asked, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled as he helped her to her feet.  The earth shook beneath her, the tremors causing sharp pain to throb through her side.  Looking up she could see the crest of spines atop the dragon's head as it nosed through the rubble nearby.  

Pushing Thor behind her, she furiously whispered, “How long was I out!  You should have gotten yourself out of here when you had the chance.” 

“I could not just leave an injured comrade behind.  Your only here because of me anyway. Besides, it doesn’t look like you left me when I was hurt either.” He grabbed her wrist and held her palm up for her to see.  There were deep scores in each of her palms from grasping the eggshell she had used to carry him. 

She dismissively wiped her bloody palms on her leggings and pulled away from him embarrassed.  Looking at their surroundings in dismay she realized that the only path they had left led them straight towards the dragon.  With sore, shaking hands she grasped Thor’s fingers and looked into his blue eyes. “I’ll distract the dragon, while you make a run for it.  Go straight down the path and take the second right. That should lead you to exit.” Lilith’s hands shook as she squeezed his hand before releasing him and giving his shoulders a shove.  He looked back at her determinedly before turning and running in the direction instructed. 

As she watched him go, she steadied herself before reaching to her belt and removing a vial.  Cradling the delicate glass in one hand and using the other to pull herself up onto the rubble of the collapsed wall, she stood tall and faced the dragon as it lifted its massive head to glower at her.  Its nostrils alight with the beginnings of ignition. Its mouth gaping to reveal sharp incisors, each at the ready to impale her at any moment. The dragon sent forth a guttural growl, its throat lit with flames, but before it could incinerate her she heft the vial into its gullet.  With a mighty bang the flames ignited the explosive causing the dragon to stumble, crushing more walls beneath its feet. 

Lilith leapt down from her perch to take advantage of the distraction and run for her life.  As she reached the path she had told Thor to take, she glanced back to see if the Dragon was closing in.  To her surprise the dragon’s attention was no longer on her, but focused somewhere near its feet. The dragon growled, stomping its foot and destroying the walls that obstructed her view.  

There on the dragon’s back claw was Thor with his axe lodged between two scales on its toe.  His biceps were flexed in strain as he attempted to pull the axe back out. Her heart sank as she saw the dragon’s lips pull back in a snarl, its mighty jaws opening in preparation to strike.  

Abandoning any hope of escape, she ran towards Thor.  Leaping up to grabbing him by the shoulders, she used her full weight to drag him into the dirt with her.  The dragon's jaws snapped shut just above them with a sickening crack, clamping down on its own leg. She leapt to her feet dragging Thor by the arm as they charged towards the exit, but before they could escape the dragon swung around, its tale sending them flying.  

When she awoke again Thor lay beside her battered and unconscious in the dust.  They were only a few feet from the crevice that would lead them to safety, but the dragon had already closed in.  It towered above them, neck arched back in preparation to strike and its mouth burning with flames ready to engulf them.  In desperation she flung her own body in front of Thor’s unconsciousness one, throwing every ounce of magic she had at the dragon.  Chaos erupted from her soul, fleeing her body like madness incarnate and flinging the dragon away from them. It crashed into the distant wall of the cavern sliding back to the earth with a cascade of stones that shook the earth.  

Sagging from expending all her energy, Lilith still managed to drag Thor through the crevasse and onto the cliff ledge before her body gave out and darkness fogged her mind.  

 

* * *

 

The first thing she remembered as she struggled back to consciousness was the buzzing of angry voices.  Not a particularly new concept but disconcerting nonetheless. She stirred slightly but her eyelids felt paralyzed.  The voices became clearer until she recognized Volstagg’s booming voice, “Gods! How long has he been deceiving us?”

Then Fandral’s disgusted voice, “To think I had fancied her!”

Thor’s voice finally broke through then, “I admit his game was treacherous, but he did manage to help me out of a tight spot.”

“Why do you keep defending him!” yelled Sif. “All he ever does is deceive you and lead you to ruin.”

“Did you see how he hung back during the battle?  I bet he knew they weren’t wyvern from the start!” shouted Hogun.  

Finally Lilith managed to open her eyes to see what they were all yelling about.  Thor stood before her, his back to her as he faced off with his four companions. Confused she glanced at their surroundings and found that they were now at the base of the mountain next to a stream of cool mountain water.  She leaned down to cup some water to her parched lips, but froze when she saw her reflection. Gods! The force of her magic must have drained her entirely, shattering her illusions. Loki slumped back against a tree and watched the other’s warily.  

Sif stared down Thor with fury in her eyes.  “Well if you won’t turn him in then I will”, she proclaimed, stalking off into the trees.  The others following close at her heels. Before he took off after his friends, Thor turned back to Loki.  Crouching beside him he said, “Don’t worry brother, I will talk them down. I can be very persuasive.” and with a wink Thor ran after the others.  Alone again, Loki leaned wearily on his tree and lapsed back into fitful sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author Note: See explanation on how Loki became Lilith in the next chapter!)


	4. Dreams of Hunting and Food Fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author Note: If you’re like me and want more backstory than plot you are in the right place. *The events of this chapter take place well before the first Thor movie.)

Loki dreamed.  He tried not to do that often.  Dreams were either a fanciful attempt to escape reality that was doomed to failure, or his subconscious way of punching him in the gut with all the things he had done wrong in the past.  Unfortunately, this dream was one of the later.

_He sat on the banister of the balcony outside his brother’s chambers pretending to listen while he blathered on about something.  Bla bla bla, training, bla bla bla, swords, bla bla bla, axes … On and on Thor rambled. Suddenly Thor’s tone changed, drawing Loki’s attention back to the conversation._

_“Fandral had an interesting idea the other day…” Thor began hesitantly.  “The festival of harvest bounty will be starting next week. Fandral said that if we sneak out while everyone is distracted, congratulating the chosen, we could get a head start on the wild hunt.”  He glanced around conspiratorially before whispering, “Do you want to come with us?”_

_Loki looked at his brother as if he had lost his mind, which he obviously had, and said, “Isn’t the whole point of participating in the wild hunt that you are chosen to represent Asgard as our mightiest hunter alongside the chosen hunters representing the nine realms?  Why not wait a few more years until you are eligible to be chosen? I’m sure father would be happy to choose you to represent Asgard or one of the nine realms that do not have a suitable hunter.”_

_“Waiting, always waiting.  How many decades must I endure until my time comes and I can seize the glory that rightfully belongs to me?” complained Thor.  “I will prove to father that I am ready for a worthy challenge. Are you with me or not?”_

_“Decidedly not,” said Loki.  “Do you have any idea how much trouble you will get in when you are caught?”_

_“It will be an adventure! Fandral, Volstagg, and I are going and nothing Sif or you say will stop us.”_

 

_* *  *_

 

_Loki wandered the festival to pass the time.  He had not seen Thor since his declarations which probably meant that he was sulking somewhere to avoid him.  He didn’t bother hoping that Thor had changed his mind, that wasn’t something his mind was capable of. All he could do now was wait and hope he had a chance to mitigate the situation when it arose._

_Realizing that wandering the festival alone was doing nothing to distract him, Loki turned to head back to the training grounds.  As he passed the food stalls he pulled his collar over his nose. The smell nauseated him. He didn’t have time for food anyway. Walking faster, he turned the corner, but paused when he saw who was blocking the path.  Ducking into a nearby clothing stall, he leaned against one of the tent poles to listen in on the conversation. Hogun and Sif huddled just on the other side of the canvas wall arguing._

_“How could we let them go without us?” Hogun whispered furiously._

_“How could we go with them?! They are going to dishonor one of our greatest traditions,” said Sif in frustration.  “One of my family’s greatest prides stems from my great grandfather being chosen. That was the start of our family’s friendship and service to the throne.”_

_Hogun paused before saying, “I had hoped that our refusal would dissuade them.  Especially your refusal, you’re not one to avoid jumping into the fray.”_ _  
_ _With a large sigh Sif said, “We better get back.  The selection will begin soon.”_

_As he listened to their footsteps fade Loki wondered why they had not tried to persuade Thor to give up his plan entirely instead of just refusing to go with.  He would have tried if he thought Thor would listen to him. Loki had tried many times to talk Thor out of his idiotic plans to no avail, but if Sif or Hogun tried he might just listen.  After all, Thor held his friends much higher esteem than he did his brother._

_Loki left the bazar shortly after, but as he turned to leave the clothing stall his hand brushed a luxurious red cape.  He trailed his fingers down its velvety hem._

 

_* * *_

 

 _Loki paced back and forth behind the royal stands as his father began his welcoming speech.  This was going to be bad. This was going to be so bad. What was that idiot thinking! How was no one supposed to miss the vacant seat next to father?  People would notice_ … _worse_ father _would notice._  

_“Do you know where Thor is?”_

_Jumping out of his skin, Loki turned to his mother.  She looked down on him from the top of the stairs that lead to the royal viewing area.  Running his hand through his hair in an attempt to stall he said, “I haven't seen him the past couple of days.  Do you know what has kept him so preoccupied?”_

_“Don’t you try to deceive_ me?   _You are my son, I’m the one who taught you those tricks,” said Frigga.  “Now tell me what your brother has gotten himself into this time.”_

_Loki fidgeted slightly, but before he could come up with something to say, a commotion erupted from the training ground._

_Frigga gave him a meaningful look before turning to go back up the stairs.  “Let us go find out what my son had done now, shall we?”_  

 

* * *

 

_It had been an even bigger disaster than he had thought.  Guards had stumbled upon Thor and his friends during the selection ceremony and hauled them out in front of the spectators.  Father was furious. The pulse in his neck beating for all the worlds to see as he verbally tor them to shreds. While his tirade was relatively short considering the ones Loki had received, it was unnerving to witness his brother and father arguing so heatedly in front of so many witnesses.  Once Oden regained his composure, he ordered Thor to be confined with in the castle walls for two weeks._

_Thor stormed off angrily and was quickly pursued by guards to make sure his sentence was properly carried out.  Once Thor receded into the foliage, Oden’s ire turned to fall on Fandral and Volstagg. “I have been lenient with Thor because he is my son, but I cannot be so with you.”  Turning to the remaining guards he ordered, “Take them to the square to be flogged and placed in the stocks for the remaining five days of the festival. After all they did want to be part of the entertainment.”  Not even bothering to watch them be led away, Oden turned back to continue the proceedings of the wild hunt._  

 

_***_

 

_As he returned to the castle Loki passed a parcel to the nearest guard saying, “Deliver this to Thor’s chambers.”  He hoped that it would be enough to distract him from doing something idiotic, like retaliate against father. Knowing how stubborn and single minded Thor was he would not just let this humiliation pass without protest, but he was easily distracted.  Maybe the mystery of the unsigned gift would be able to preoccupy him. Speaking of distracting Thor, Loki turned to go search for his brother._

_Loki found Thor in the banquet hall pacing back and forth down the rows of tables set for the post-hunt feast.  The tables bowed slightly from the weight of the bounty they held. The decadent foods sat in splendor amid the finest goblets, china, and silverware in all of Asgard.  Loki made his way down the isle of tables that Thor was stalking through. He started to walk between the rows of tables to greet his brother, but paused when Thor turned to look at him._

_Thor’s eyes blazed with anger, his shoulders tens as he strode up to be toe to toe to Loki.  “How could you betray me like that?!” Thor bellowed._

_Loki stared at him in confusion.  What was he going on about now?_

_Static sparked from his hands as he continued his tirade, “Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?!  Being drag like some kind of criminal out in front of all the Nine Realms. I bet you just thought it was hilarious watching father being disappointed in me, for once, instead of_ you.”  

_Every nerve in Loki’s body crackled in outraged, fury at Thor’s words, “Why do you always blame me for you incompetence!  Like anyone would even need to tell them what you were trouble you were getting into. They probably knew you were up to something from the moment they notice your absence at the selection ceremony. They probably didn’t even need to look that hard to find you either, what with all you’re stomping and thrashing as you gallivanted through the forest.”  Loki stepped into Thor, his finger digging into his sternum. “Even if someone did betray you, why would you automatically assume it was me? Why not Sif or Hogun? They didn’t seem to take to your scheme either.”_

_“My friends are loyal to me.  Unlike you, they would never betray me!” Thor roared into Loki’s face._

_Loki lend in even further so that his nose brushed Thor’s and whispered, “What good is loyalty when all it does is get your friends killed, or in this case flogged.”_

_What little control Thor had, broke at Loki’s words.  He hurled himself at Loki, his sparking hands outstretched towards his throat, careening right through him to fall face first into a bowl of pudding.  As if Loki would antagonize his brother in person. The marriage rolled his eyes before blinking out of existence. Loki stepped out from behind a pillar and rolled his eyes as well, just for good measure.  The newly christened pudding god rose, sparks of anger shooting in all directions._

_Thor reached down, grasping the table edge, and through it food and all towards Loki.  It was a ridiculously childish move, resorting to a food fight, but Loki saw the advantages it lent him.  As the table careened toward him with food being catapulted in every direction, it was child’s play for him to manipulate their chaotic movements so that not a single speck managed to soil his person.  The table landed before him, forming a barrier between Loki and Thor, while the food splattered the walls on either side of him._

_Using a pillar for cover Loki stepped through the shadowed reality to walk out from behind the pillar directly behind Thor.  “A food fight, really?” scoffed Loki. “No wonder father doesn’t think you’re ready for the hunt. Just how childish are you?”_  

_Thor’s anger was so high that the food that clung to him was nothing more than smoldering ash.  Thor turned slowly, his eyes lit with anger. Without another word, Thor charged at Loki so fast that he barely had time to react.  Loki lept, flipping over Thor. One hand using Thor’s head as a springboard and twisting like a cat so he landed still facing his opponent. Acting quickly, Loki flipped another table grabbing plate after plate, flinging them at his brother as projectiles.  They shattered against his breastplate but didn’t manage to slow him much as Thor struck him with a fist wreathed in lightning._

_Loki skidded down the length of several tables, coming to rest with his head against the side of a very large roast pig.  Dazed he lifted his head to see that Thor had launched himself into the air and was heading right for him. Without thinking he through a spell at Thor, but it was not enough to stop his momentum.  At the last moment Loki backhanded the frog away from him. Thor made a distressed croaking noise as he hit the wall beside Loki’s head._

_For a moment Loki felt bad about what he had done, but then he remembered that Thor had started it.  So really this was all his fault anyway. Slowly he sat up, his right shoulder protesting from the impact with the table.  He glared daggers at the unconscious frog in the corner and began cleaning his clothes with magic, he was going to have stains everywhere if he didn’t hurry.   He pulled his coat off and began inspecting it for any more traces to be cleansed, when he hear footsteps from the hallway. He startled and turned just as the double doors opened to reveal Oden flanked by the honored guests from the Nine Realms on either side.  Oden stilled at the sight before him, then turned his wrathful gaze on his second son._

_Well… crap._

 

***

  


Loki woke from the dream with a start, his ribs screaming in pain and outrage as he sat up only to have a sheathed sword point press his shoulder back against the tree.  

“Not just yet.  You’ll reopen your wounds.”

Loki froze, lifting his eyes to meet the unblinking gaze of Heimdall.  Ok now he knew he was dreaming. I mean really, what the hell? This guy hated his guts.  

“Despite what you think I do not hate you.  I don't particularly like you either, but ...” Heimdall glowered down at him as he continued.  “I see everything, remember? I’ve seen how you have been treated and much of that animosity has been earned, but I have also seen your loyalty and courage overlooked countless times.”  

Loki brushed the sword away from his shoulder and looked away.  Courage, him? Not likely. Heimdall’s sight must be faltering with age.  He shifted slightly to a more comfortable position one hand instinctively clutching at his side, when he noticed an odd texture beneath his fingertips.  Bandaged wound an intricate weave around his torso. Loki looked up questioningly at Heimdall.

“You were not overlooked this time,” he said before turning away.  “Besides even an Asgardian will die from blood loss given enough time.”  He returned his unblinking gaze back to Loki saying, “Be seeing you,” with a meaningful glance.  

Heimdall turned to leave, muttering under his breath, “Breakfast will be served at the castle in about 15 minutes.  I wonder what it will be today?”, right before he faded into the shadows between the trees.

Loki sat up with a jolt, ignoring his ribs.  The guards! Thank the gods for the no visitors order.  He might still have time. Quickly he closed his eyes in concentration.  When he finished he slumped back against the tree in utter exhaustion and opened his eyes to see his mirage.  He really should have used a solid clone, but he just didn’t have the energy. He just have to come up for a reason why he wasn’t eating.  Waving a shaking hand towards the mirage, Loki made it disappear and reappear in his living quarters so the guard charged with delivering his food would be none the wiser.  

Crisis averted Loki settled in for a well-deserved nap.  


	5. Spine Fruit & Dragons (Really Again?)

When Loki woke for the second time after the wyvern fiasco the light was beginning to fade again and he was _starving_.  Not like this was any mystery, the last time he had eaten was at least 24 hours ago.  His stomach felt like there was an angry badger trying to claw its way out of him. He stood slowly testing his wounds with care, before he walked over to the clear mountain spring.  He knelt down and deftly shifted a fallen leaf into a emerald glass and dipped it into the cool water. He lifted the glass to his parched lips. He sipped slowly at first, but after the first taste of the cool liquid he began to drink deeply.  He was so preoccupied by hunger that he had not initially realized how parched he was. The blood loss must have severely dehydrated him.

After downing six more glasses the lightheaded, shaking feeling he hadn’t notice passed, leaving him wondering how he had not felt it until it was gone.  The clawing hunger he had felt waned slightly now that his stomach was filled with water, but he would still need to eat soon. He stumbled as he stood and began to walk along the edge of the stream heading towards where the trees grew thicker.  There would probably be some edible wild plants near the water and foraging would be faster than walking all the way back to town.

Loki wandered for some time before he came upon a copse of Spine Fruit trees.  Ironically the fruit itself had soft, smooth, and tender flesh. It was the tree’s trunk that had the spines.  Each spine was at least the length of his forearm and narrowed to a razor sharp point. Even if the spines were spaced far enough apart to be able for him to use as and holds, the spines were fare to flexible and were coated in fine toxic hairs waiting to imbed themselves in his palms.  

Loki stared longingly up at the branches laden with spine fruit.  He could just make out the glistening dew drops as they reflected the moonlight.  He didn’t have enough energy for anything more than maintain the mirage back in the castle.  Keeping his spell maintained from this distance was draining what little reserves he had left.  His head was beginning to pound from the effort. He really needed to eat, but there was no way his hands were going anywhere near that tree trunk.  

Slowly, he paced around the tree looking for a weak spot.  There were several spine fruit trees on either side of the stream, but not a single one had a low hanging branch.  Each trunk was at least twelve feet tall before they began to split into branches. Ask he was scouting out a particularly rocky area something caught on his foot and he fell to his knees.  With a glare he turned and pulled his ankle from between the two boulders. When he finally pulled his ankle free it was throbbing and the stick that had kept his foot wedged between the boulders was pulled free too.  He wasn’t sure if you could call it a stick though. It was at least 4 feet long and ramrod straight except for two thin branches that still had a few decomposed bunches of leaves clinging to its sides. Slowly a wonderful plan began to form.  

 

***

 

After much more menial labor than he would normally have been willing to do, Loki managed to use his dagger to form the stick into a passable spear.  Most importantly, he had a large pile of fruit that he was quickly devouring despite several having a large hole from the spear. He sat quietly as he ate, looking up at the stars above his head.  One of his favorite things to do when he was younger was to go to the astronomy tower with his mother. She would spend hours pointing out different constellations and telling him the stories that they were named for.  

Now as he sat perched below them he counted all the ones he could name as a personal challenge.  He was up to 43 when Loki heard a rustle coming from one of the trees nearby. Instinctively he rested his hand on his dagger’s hilt as it rested strapped to his right hip, but no other sound came.  Slowly he lowered his hand and settled back onto the bolder he was perched on. He watched the underbrush for a few more moments before turning back to the stars. He grabbed another spine fruit from the dwindling pile and his hand brushed over something foreign.  He jerked his hand back from the tail in surprise, the rough edges of the scales cutting into his fingertips. Instantly grumpy from the unexpected pain, Loki turned to glare at the creature that was now curled around his fruit. The tiny wyvern was scarfing down what few fruits remain swallowing them whole.  As far as he could see the creature had no teeth at all. Loki grabbed his makeshift spear and swatted at the wyvern with the blunt end to shoo it away from his spoils. The shaft had at least a two inch diameter but the wyvern wrapped its tail around the middle and in one quick motion used the razorlike scales to shred it to splinters.  Loki pulled back what little remained of his spear and turned back to the wyvern just as it jumped to its talons and fluffed out its feather crest. It stood defensively in front of the fruit and let out an angry chirp, flashing its fangs in warning.

Loki was momentarily stunned by the tiny critter’s brazen threat.  It stood barely over a foot tall, with tiny needle like fangs. Its feather crest gave it five or six more inches of height, but its dull grey color only emphasized its youth.  Its long thin neck ended with a short snouted reptilian shaped head that had a fine coating of feathers and two oversized pointed ears just in front of its feather crest that were twisted back like an angry cat.  Its long wing feathers were a dull grey that matched the feathers on its head and dappled in silver. The thin layer of pale blue feathers on its face also covered its neck, torso, and its short raptor like arms. The only scales on this miniature dragon were on its two large black talons and its razor like tale that led partway up its back in a thin strip of scales that were interrupted by three small spikes.  It glared back at him with bright gold eyes that had no pupil before it scooped up the las fruit with its fore claws and ran into the shrubbery.

Not about to let the thief escape, Loki dove in after it.  The wyvern dove through thickets and brambles like they were nothing but clouds.  Even with all of Loki’s combat training, he had a hard time keeping up. Just as he thought the wyvern would get away the forest parted to reveal a clif.  The wyvern paused at the edge and turned back to Loki making a low hiccuping sound, as if laughing, before leaping over the edge.

Loki managed to grab a low hanging tree branch, stopping him just before he went over the edge too.  Silently he glared daggers at the wyvern as it glided down the sheer drop to the protected valley below.  The valley was shielded by a semi circle of steep cliff face on one side and thick trees on the other. Near the left edge of the cliff was a narrow waterfall that was at least 30 feet high.  At the bottom of the fall was a small pool of water that fed a small stream that cut through the valley with gentle curves until it disappeared into the treeline. The valley itself was lush and green, dotted with small groves of blackberry bushes.  

Looking at the valley he was not surprised that there was such a large colony of wyvern living here.  The cliff face was covered in ledges of all shapes and sizes and nearly everyone of them had a nest built on it.  Loki estimated 40 adult wyvern and a billion chicks running in every direction, not to mention all the clutches of eggs tucked out of sight in the nests.  Finally Loki spotted his dappled fruit stealler gliding towards the falls. Loki could just make out a nest tucked behind the waterfall away from the other nests.  The wyvern landed clumsily on the slippery rocks, but managed to keep ahold of its prize at it curled up next to another wyvern, presumably its mother from the lack of head crest.  The adult wyvern was considerably larger than her son and had feathers in a rich dark blue.

The dappled wyvern nudged the fruit towards its mother, who awkwardly sat up and began to eat.  Loki notice as the wyvern tipped its head back to swallow the fruit whole, that one of her back talons was twisted in an unnatural position.  With a leg like that she would still be able to fly, but landing would be both painful and dangerous. Once the fruit was gone the mother nuzzled up to her hatchling as her feathers slowly faded from navy to a soft pink.  The dappled wyvern was still a fruit thief though.

Loki settled onto the cliff ledge to watch the wyvern colony for a little while longer before he headed back home.  He wasn’t really looking forward to sitting in his room for 4 more weeks. He was curious about the color shifting feathers though, He would have to sneak out again later with a scroll and pen.  This could be a good research project. It was incredibly rare to find a wyvern nesting ground. They tended to migrate four times a year and based on the overcrowding issue this colony was having they probably would not be able to use this one for much longer.  He would hate to let an opportunity like this pass him by.

After all, he was already learning a lot.  

Near the top of the cliff there were two males facing off on a thin ledge, their feather crests flashing red in the moonlight.  Hatchlings ran in circles around the blackberry bushes as they tried to keep the others away from “their” bush. Every once in a while a few would band together and claim a blackberry grove for a while, but eventually they would start squabbling amongst themselves and the game would start all over again.  The dappled wyvern perked up at the sight and jumped down into the frey. He ran toward one of the blackberry groves, but before he could get anywhere close the whole group of hatchlings turn and chased him away.

The dappled wyvern tried a few more times with the same result before he finally gave up.  Loki looked around for an explanation and realized that he wasn’t seeing any other wyvern with spotted wings.  Why would such a small difference be causing such animosity from his own kind. Not that Loki cared, it’s not like it was going to affect him.  The wyvern was a fruit thief and nothing more.

The sun was just beginning to lighten the edge of the sky when Loki stood and dusted himself off.  All the hatchlings were returning to their nests and the adults were returning with the last fruits from their night of forging.  There were even a few already asleep, their feathers dulled to a neutral grey as they drifted into unconsciousness. He wasn’t going to have much to observe other than the century posted on the cliff ledge for a while so he might as well go home.  

Loki was just passing the first line of trees when he heard a familiar screech and he suddenly felt the need to start ramming his head against a tree repeatedly.  He slowly turned around to see a shadow circling in the sky. Seriously, weren’t dragons supposed to be rare? The sentinels shrunk into themselves at the sight, their feather crests flashed dark blue before they stood tall and began flashing bright red.  Once alerted all the nearby wyver dove into their nests, covering themselves with their wings, and shifting the feathers to blend with their surroundings. They were were completely invisible as long as they didn’t move. The chicks dove toward their mothers, their grey feathers blending with the stone good enough to keep from drawing attention to themselves before they could reach the cover of their mothers’ wings.  

Their cloaking instincts seemed to be working because the bronze colored dragon was losing interest.  Loki breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want to ever be involved with another dragon again. He was still recovering from his last encounter with a fire breathing demon.  Not wanting to draw attention to himself either, Loki slowly lowered himself into the undergrowth to wait until it was safe to leave.

Loki’s heart stopped as the dragon suddenly made a sharp turn and began to decent.  Quickly turning his attention to the ground below him, Loki saw a wyvern hatchling with its head peering out of one of the blackberry groves.  When it spotted the dragon it ducked back into the branches, but the damage was already done. The dragon’s claws clicked on the stones as he landed less than 100 yards from where Loki sat shrouded in leaves, not unlike the unfortunate hatchling.  The bronze dragon’s horns row up towards the rising sun as its burning gold eyes bore into the bushes the wyvern sat huddled in. This dragon was only half the size of the dragon Loki had fought with Thor, its wingspan only 80 feet. The dragon still seemed massive from where Loki crouched, its head rising at least three stories above him even while crouched.  

As it stalked towards the cliff edge the colony of wyver began to shift uneasily.  The dragon leapt off the ledge as if it were just a particularly steep step and landed near the blackberry grove.  The hatchling panicked, bolting from the bushes and running towards the nest across the valley. Spurred into action the colony took to the air to protect one of their own.  They zipped back and forth passed the dragon’s head, their feathers flashing red to distract the monster from its target. The dragon snapped at the wyvern as they flew around him, but they were faster.  They twisted and turned in the air like acrobats nipping at eyes and wings. Anywhere they could sink their fangs in. The wyvern continued their onslaught until the dragon began to sway from the effects of their poison.  As Loki watched from the shadows, the dragon stumbled. Its large wings outstretched for balance, the dragon fell against the cliff wall causing the earth to tremble. Ledges, nests, eggs, and all fell to the valley floor from the rockslide the impact caused.  Sheltering mothers and hatchlings fled for safety.

Loki stood aghast as the rock ledge sheltered by the waterfall gave way beneath the dappled hatchling and his mother.  The injured mother spread her wings to take flight, but in her panice one wing spread to far and was caught by the flow of the waterfall.  The hatchling snached her tail in his mouth and attempted to pull her back on balance, but her weight was to much for him and he was pulled in too.  They tumbled tallon over tail as the water swept them down into the pond. It was several long moments before a feathered head broke through the surface of the water.  The dappled wyvern splashed and sputted to the edge of the pond and sank onto the bank exhausted.

Relieved, Loki looked back for the mother but she was nowhere to be seen.  The panting hatchling lifted hits head from the sand in search of its mother.  Finally, he spotted her still form washed up on the shallow waters by the stream.  Struggling to stand on shaking talons the hatchling hurried to her side. He pushed her snout up onto the dry shore and nuzzled her feathers making a soft squeaking noise.  His cries of distress did not wake his mother and only served to draw unwanted attention.

The dragon rose shaking its head in confusion trying to zero in on the noise of injured prey.  The dragon’s wings sagged, scoring into the earth as he move slowly towards the hatchling. The paralysis from the wyvern venom was beginning to take effect and he stumble more than stalked towards the hatchling.  The brave little wyvern turned to face his attacker, its wings and feather crest puffed out in anger. A faint red flush lit his feathers, making the silver spots stand out even more as he warned the dragon away from his mother.  

Finally Loki could take no more.  He broke from cover and lobbed his last vialed spell at the the dragon’s vulnerable wings.  When the viale shattered on impact, ice rapidly spread to cover both wings and the dragon’s right front talon.  The dragon roared in pain thrashing its head from side to side in an attempt to work itself free of the heavy layers of ice.  Seeing their chance the colony rushed in fangs flashing and attacking with everything they had. The dragon panicked twisting and turning as he tried to fight them off.  There was a squawk of pain as the dragon’s tail swung through the air. Loki looked for the source to see the dappled hatchling laying unmoving on the other side of the stream.  

Suddenly, there was a loud crash.  Loki turned back to the fight to see that the dragon had broken free of the ice.  The dragon’s wings stretched over the valley as he lifted off the ground to flee into the sky.  The colony of wyvern gave chase, diving like bird moving a predator until he was no longer in sight.  Loki began to climb down the rockslide picking his way for a stable path. As he climbed the wyvern began to filter back.  The mothers gathered their hatchlings to them and foraged through the rocks in search for any eggs that survived the rockslide.  They would have to migrate early. The valley was no longer liveable, let alone safe. The dragon would come back now that it had found this home.  The males carries the eggs that they found and the mothers herded the hatchlings. Those old enough to fly stayed in the center of the flock as they flew away.  Those that were too young were carried by their mothers.

The colony was already fading into the sky as he reached what was left of the valley floor.  Carefully he knelt next to the still form of the dappled hatchling’s mother. There was no breath in her body and her pulse was still.  There was nothing he could do for her now. Slowly he rose and crossed the stream to where her hatchling lay. His right wing lay at an odd angle but he was still breathing.  Carefully he scooped up the creature in his arms. Loki wasn’t one for animals or healing, but he knew someone who was.

 

***

 

As Loki climbed back through his window with his bundle tucked carefully under his arm.  He turned to see two glowing gold eyes. Perched like a sphinx in the center of his bed was a nemean lion.  Its jet black fur and luminescent gold spots contrasted beautifully with his emerald green duvet. It was shaped like a Midgard serval cat, with its long legs stretched in front of it and its large, round ears perked in interest.  His mother Frigga reached out and softly stroked its head.

“Nubia always knew when you would sneak in and out of the castle when you were little.  Nothing much seems to have changed,” said Frigga with a smile. “You have been out far to long my son.  I was beginning to worry something had happened.”

“Something did happen, but I handled it,” replied Loki.

“Did this ‘something’ have to do with Thor slipping out of his chambers two nights ago?”

Shocked Loki asked, “How did you know?”  

“A mother always knows,” she said simply.  “Did you boys at least look out for one another? I know how you two can fight.”  

“There was fighting but not between me and Thor for once,” said Loki.  “I’m glad you are here though, I need your guidance.” He gently held out the bundle he held to her.  

She carefully held the bundle as she pulled back the cloth to reveal the wyvern hatchling.  She let out a soft gasp as she saw the broken wing. She set him down gently next to Nubia’s paws and turned to face him.  “Grab me some towels and warm water.” He did as she commanded and knelt beside her. “I haven’t taught you the healing arts yet.  They are not your natural gift and will take much more energy for you to perform. You are not ready yet, but watch me carefully. This will help you learn faster when the time comes.”  Her palm glowed as she said the words of power clearly so that he could hear and remember.

As the light began to dim, the wyvern stirred.  Suddenly his eyes shot open and he bolted. He crashed head long into Nubia.  She sat up quickly and batted at the pest with sheathed paws. Flustered, the wyvern ran around the room in search of a way out.  The wyvern spotted Loki. Seeing him as the only recognizable thing in the room he dashed to huddle beneath his cloak. Nubia looked on with distaste.  

Friga gently removed the hatchling from his hiding spot and cradled him to her chest.  “Easy there little one,” she cood. “We won’t hurt you.” She turned her attention back to Loki, “What are you going to call him?”  

“Call him?  Why would I need to call him? He just needed healed so I brought him to you.”  

“So you plan to release him?  Do you know where his colony is?”  

“Not exactly, but his instincts will lead him to them.”

“He is too young to fly on his own for very far.  Do you at least know where his mother is?”

“She is dead.”

His mother paused for a moment before saying, “Then he will stay here.  I will not cast one so young out.”

“I know how you are about strays but father will never allow it.”  

“Ignoring him she said, “Well if you won’t name him I will.”  She looked him over carefully. “What unusual markings.” She held him up to the light.  “They glow like little specks of moonlight.” She turned back to Loki, “That’s it. Shin-ah.  It means moonlight.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last installment of the story. The next story "Freya" is in progress.


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